When
construction of Doubleparker.com was completed, its
release coincided with a new feature called The Meteor
which was used to help draw audiences into the website
and get accustomed to its new format. Since DoubleParker
was intended to be a free site that people could go
to for entertainment and off-the-wall humor, The Meteor
was a perfect candidate for the first true major feature
to be released through Doubleparker.com.
Before it’s release
though, it was heavily promoted through my old website,
www.parkers.ws.
The kick was that it was promoted as if it were an upcoming
big-budget blockbuster, complete with teaser trailer,
posters, and fake promotional events months before its
actual release. Aside from a vague description of what
The Meteor was, viewers had no true idea of what they
were going to see once the movie hit the net. Billed
as “the first time a film is released exclusively
through PARKER'S website”, a counter on the site
ticked down seconds, minutes, and hours as its midnight
release time approached. |
|
 |
On
December 11, 2002, a fake promotional event for The Meteor
was “set up” at Fulmore Middle School in Austin.
Although the event never truly occurred, viewers were able
to visit the parkers.ws site and see doctored photos of me
signing autographs and lines of children receiving promotional
t-shirts. The photos were a hit, and friends of mine were
convinced the event was real, asking if I had lost my mind.
On
December 13, a second “event” was held on the
steps of the capital. Everything about the photographs was
real except for the signs they were holding. Once again, most
people were convinced it was legit, and statistics hinted
that a large core of the Parker website fanbase was eagerly
awaiting The Meteor’s release.
|
